22 | FEBRUARY 10 • 2022 

LACEY FOON
Lacey Foon, 34, 
is most recently 
the founder of 
JFamily’s newest 
program — 
JScreen Detroit 
— an initiative created to help 
Detroit Jews receive education, 
subsidization and support for 
hereditary cancer genetic and 
reproductive disease screen-
ing. 
She devised this initiative 
while undergoing chemo-
therapy for cancer associated 
with her own cancer genetic 
mutation. She did not want a 
single member of this commu-
nity not to have the resources 
available for this lifesaving 
technology that is so import-
ant for Jews, who are at a 
higher risk of being carriers. 
In addition to her work 
with JScreen Detroit, Foon 
devotes much of her time to 
various local organizations 
including NEXTGen Detroit, 
Hillel Day School, Friendship 
Circle (with her certified 
therapy dog, Hugo) and the 
JBaby prenatal program. Her 
affiliations with the Jewish 
Federation include the JFMD 
Capital Needs Committee, 
Ben Gurion Society, National 
Young Leadership Cabinet 
through JFNA and Ruby Lion.
Professionally, Foon spent 
more than a decade at various 
Detroit-area real estate groups, 
including Village Green, 
REDICO and ROCO, holding 
roles from leasing consultant 
to acquisitions director, while 
also earning her MBA. 
The Bloomfield Hills 
resident and Temple Israel 
member received her bache-
lor’s degree from The George 
Washington University and 

an MBA from the University 
of Michigan. She is married 
to Elliot and is the mother of 
twins, Phoebe and Eloise.

RABBI ELYA 
SILFEN
Rabbi Elya 
Silfen is direc-
tor of the Bais 
Chabad Yeshiva 
(BCY), a free 
international online Jewish 
learning program affiliated 
with the Bais Chabad Torah 
Center in West Bloomfield. 
Rabbi Elya hails original-
ly from Chapel Hill, North 
Carolina, where he attended 
public high school and spent 
his spare time working at a 
coffee shop and playing the 
banjo. After graduation, he 
went to the Mayanot Yeshiva 
in Jerusalem for what he 
thought would be a “gap year” 
and never looked back. He 
went on to study at Ohelei 
Torah in Brooklyn, New York, 
and finally the Morristown 
Rabbinical College in 
Morristown, New Jersey.
The BCY is open to all and 
has a diverse and growing 
group of instructors and stu-
dents. Classes span a variety 
of topics in Torah and take 
place daily on Zoom. Rabbi 
Elya designed the program 
primarily for those with little 
or no formal Jewish educa-
tion, and without a rabbi or 
community. His passion is 
reaching these individuals to 
provide personal attention, 
learning and counseling.
He lives in West Bloomfield 
with his wife and four chil-
dren, who love to make new 
connections in the communi-
ty and welcome Shabbos 
guests. 

SAMANTHA 
FOON
Samantha Foon 
has made it 
her mission to 
make a positive 
impact on the 
Metro Detroit Jewish commu-
nity. She is actively involved in 
countless organizations and is 
always finding new and valu-
able ways to help others.
As social event vice presi-
dent of the NEXTGen Detroit 
Executive Board, Samantha 
oversees social programming 
and has twice co-chaired 
NEXTGen Detroit’s larg-
est fundraiser, EPIC, which 
raises more than $300,000 
for Federation’s Annual 
Campaign.
Whether doing a feminine 
product drive for I Support 
the Girls, a NEXTGen blood 
drive for Beaumont or helping 
plan Brilliant Detroit’s annu-
al fundraiser, she is always 
thinking of ways to aid our 
community.
A mother of twins, age 4, 
Samantha is actively involved 
in Hillel Day School and 
JFamily. She enjoys planning 
creative, innovative Jewish 
family and young adult expe-
riences. She also is on the 
Jewish Community Center 
board. Samantha is co-chair-
ing ORT Michigan’s fall fund-
raiser, Come ORT and Play, 
in support of ORT’s critical 
mission of impacting lives 
through education.
Samantha, a Bloomfield 
Hills resident, received her 
bachelor’s degree in the hospi-
tality business from Michigan 
State University. A member of 
Temple Israel, she is married 
to Michael and is the mother 
of Riley and Easton.

RENEE 
LIBERMAN
Renee 
Liberman of 
Royal Oak is a 
language arts 
and social stud-
ies teacher at Hillel Day 
School of Metropolitan 
Detroit. Fulfilling a lifelong 
aspiration, Renee is in the 
middle of her 13th year as an 
educator. She continues to feel 
blessed to have such an active 
role in our Jewish community 
year after year. 
Renee works to bring light 
into her classroom each day 
and, in turn, allows oth-
ers’ lights to shine brightly. 
Infusing Judaism into her 
daily practices as a general 
studies teacher, she finds 
joy in sharing her pride and 
passion for Judaism with her 
students.
Her love for her Jewish 
identity began at a young age. 
Growing up in a home that 
embraced and encouraged 
access to a Jewish education, 
Renee participated in various 
activities that supported her 
growth, spirituality, and love 
for Israel and Judaism. 
From her youth, Renee 
attended OSRUI, a URJ sum-
mer camp, visited Israel sever-
al times as an adolescent and 
Jewish professional, and car-
ries her connection as a Jew 
wherever her travels lead her. 
An important and transforma-
tive trip was as a participant 
on the Germany Close Up 
trip, in partnership with The 
Well. She relies on all these 
experiences as tools as she 
leads and learns alongside her 
students. 
Renee is a proud graduate 
of Michigan State University 

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OUR 
COMMUNITY

